The Tradition of Monarchy
by maverickavenger
Summary: au. In a dark world consumed by humans who think they are the dominant species, a thriving community simmers just beneath the surface. Soon, it will explode in a flurry that cannot be contained..
1. Prelude

**Summary.**  
>In a dark world consumed by humans who think they are the dominant species, a thriving community simmers just beneath the surface.<p>

**A/N.**  
>So this chapter is sort of like a prequel. Didn t start out that way, but it definitely evolved into one. It won t hurt my feelings in the slightest if you skip it, but be warned, I m sort of shaking the foundations of your typical supernatural story. I m pretty excited about this, but I have a terrible habit of starting stories and not finishing them. So, I wouldn t hope for updates on top of each other, but I can promise an update every two weeks if I get some support. Who wants to write a story no one likes, right? :P So anyway, this is going to evolve into a possesive kenkao fic, because lets face it, I m obsessed with them, and I ll definitely throw in some side character lovin if I can manage it. I hope to keep you all on your toes!<p>

**o0o**

_"We choose to go...not because [it is] easy, but because [it is] hard, because that goal will serve to measure and organize the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win."  
><em>-JFK

**o0o**

She prowled darkly though streets which were normally humming with activity, but now lay barren and abandoned. Somehow she knew it related to her; this was, after all, her territory. Shadows shifted and reached for her, craving her tangible form within their depth. She ignored them, continuing to stalk down a sidewalk lit by the warm yellow glow of streetlamps. She wasn't entirely sure where her destination truly was, she just knew that she had needed to go _somewhere_.

The crisp night air had done a great deal to alleviate the weight that had settled unpleasantly on her chest, but the burden of responsibility still nagged at her. The forest was a significant run from the Polish city she was currently in, but it was still a tempting thought. Part of why her kind settled near woodlands was because of the pull that nature had on their true forms, and Bialowieza was one of the oldest remaining ties that still clung to the oldest of days. It was a kind of unexplainable comfort, being surrounded by oaks that had a circumference you couldn't even nearly wrap your arms around and a canopy of green that almost blocked out the sun and moon completely.

Her consideration of the old forest gave way to thoughts of her own predicament and she couldn t help but let out a breathy sigh. Her fate was deeply entangled in the throngs of her family history, and naught but a revolution would change the order of things as they were.

Kamiya Kaoru was a descendant of the greatest ruling lupine family in all of Europe. Legend says that they originated in the heart of Japan, but intolerance and hatred towards her species drove them away and into the forests and cities of eastern Europe. Eventually her family grew in strength and numbers, allowing them to seize more territory and expand the tendrils of their control. Over the span of many generations, the Kamiya line had proven to be the most feared, respected, and loved of all ruling clans. They brought peace to a species wrought with turmoil and settled blood feuds that had existed for centuries, all under the leadership of her greatest elders.

Kaoru was in line to take her mother s crown in less than a few years time, just as she had taken it from her mother, and she from her aunt, and she from her cousin, and so on, all the way back to the very beginnings of their species. Werewolves were, by nature, a matriarchal and organized society that worked like a monarchy, handing off titles and rights to offspring deemed most genetically capable. Kaoru had shown the most promise out of all fourteen female cousins and two sisters, despite not being the oldest.

Kaoru pushed her jet black bangs away from her face and stopped in her wandering, hand remaining on her forehead as she tilted her chin up so as to gaze at the brightest stars above her. She allowed herself the silent pleasure of picking out a few constellations as thoughts of succession clung to her weary brain.

"Maybe it won t be as awful as I think. I might be able to do something worth remembering.." The words were hardly more than a whisper, but the young female balked in their wake. She was positively sure it would be awful, but had no right as the Daughter to deny her place.

Werewolf society was traditional, and no one saw a change in the near future.

**o0o**

As a Daughter, the named successor of her mother's throne, she had been allotted a chunk of territory that would appease her wolf's growing instincts and test her mettle as, what might as well be, royalty. She was charged with keeping the peace, settling disruptions in the balance between humans and werefolk, and above all, coming to know the area she would settle her home clan in. She had expressed a fondness for the forest Poland lay partial hold on, Bialowieza, and her mother must have heard through the grapevine.

It was supposed to be some sort of a gift, she supposed.

She had been living in Bialystock for almost five months, and it was currently turning out to be a pleasantly warm July for the city. She had learned, through careful usage of their library and records, that winters here were long and cold, but summers were comfortable and seemed downright pleasant.

When Kaoru first learned that she was being named Daughter to the Kamiya line, she was stunned. A thousand things had run through her head at that moment, but one of the most predominant was that she hoped her mother would be kind enough to establish her in a place near a forest, and a place with long winters. As a young wolf, she was expected to still have a rough control on her instincts, which meant a need for more runs than the average adult. Being still a teenager by her wolf culture meant she was still in the process of learning just how deep her pack's magic ran, and exactly what that meant in relation to her.

Other than that, she simply had a preference for snow. It masked the scent of prey, and it melded with her camouflage white and grey pelt obscenely well.

Kaoru's grandmother had established Kaoru's mother in the center of France, near Paris. Kaoru wasn t sure if she could fathom a life without woodlands like those at her disposal, but her mother had once explained that she was much older than Kaoru when she had been named a Daughter, and therefor had much greater control over her animalistic instincts. Regardless, being so far from her family, as France was where her mother was still established, was beginning to take a toll on the usually hardy young female.

She, like many of her kind, had begun to look to human forms of entertainment and companionship. She relished it, knowing that it would soon be stolen away.

**o0o**

As a type of Alphess, Kaoru's mother had allowed Kaoru to select her subordinates to create a tightly knit pack in her new territory. All wolves know that the bonds between pack members are absolute, and when broken can have a devastating impact on pack magic. Pack magic is an old and intricate art, set in place by the original wolves that spawned them all. The secret to unlocking its fullest potential was taken to the grave by its creators, but the web they wove remains accessible to all descendants of the species. This is how they can change forms easily and painlessly, hunt efficiently, and create wards that are a natural safeguard against human interference.

Kaoru once heard it said that "although we live amongst them in peace, even as some know well of our existence, the will of a human can change in so little a time because it is in their nature as short lived creatures.".

So, when it came time to choose those who would become her very closest companions, a court was called which consisted of the royal family and those who might be selected by the Daughter herself. Kaoru's mother sat on a chair upon a slightly raised stage, much like a throne, which lie at the head of the large ballroom they were assembled in. On her left was Kaoru's father, and on her right were her other male companions. It was tradition that the family of the daughter bare witness to her choices and the matriarch would then approve them once she was finished.

Kaoru couldn't remember being more sure of anything in her entire life. It would break tradition, she knew, but it would also ensure a sense of comfort and home when she decided on who she took to Poland with her. It was considered a great honor to be chosen by the Daughter, as she would inevitably succeed her Matriarch. The place she chose to reside, whether it be her established territory or a new one of her choosing, would become the new centre of werewolf society.

Matriarchs surrounded themselves with male company, for that was the purpose of a male werewolf; to protect, provide companionship, and remain loyal to their Lady. The wolves Kaoru chose sent shockwaves through the assembled crowd.

**o0o**

The newly formed clan sealed their bond together on the run to Bialystock, weaving in and out of cities and small forests, over streams and through clouds of morning mist. They made the run in four days, running by night and sleeping by day. They performed a successful hunt, as was tradition to bring them luck, and arrived in the city by nightfall on the fifth day. They spent a great deal of the dusk hours exploring the forest, as it would be their new hunting and running grounds. Once it was sufficiently marked, they changed into their human forms and went to test the waters of their new home.

They became absorbed in the nightlife, feeling out the nature of the humans they were surrounded with and the presence of those who were not of were breed, but not of human either.

It was not uncommon to find other beings of legend within the deeper parts of Europe, as it was where many of them had truly originated. Vampires, satyrs, kitsunes, dragons, and even demons. The latter, arguably, wasn t truly what religion denoted as a "demon", but more like a species of human that, over time, was absorbed by the blackest kind of blood magic and had wicked tempers. But Kaoru wasn t one to argue, they were all forces to be reckoned with in their own element.

Typically the establishment of a pack didn t upset too many supernatural residents. In fact, many of them were pleased when Kaoru and her merry band of followers began spreading the word of their arrival. Werewolves, when banded together under a singular leadership, were not unlike a brick wall that policed the wrongdoings of what lay in their territory. Other wolves began to make themselves known and come together under Kaoru's leadership. But it wasn t the burden of small-pack leadership that had the young Daughter stressed.

It was the knowledge that with modern times come radicals that want to change the world, starting with traditions put in place for the good of others. Challenges lay ahead of the young woman, and she hardly knew the half of them.


	2. Chapter One

**A/N.**

I forgot to put a disclaimer in that first chapter, sorry copyright people.

So I've hashed out the entire story in skeletal form, and I have about ten back-to-back pages of material here that I'm pretty proud of! There will be about 12 chapters, with an epilogue, but I've been thinking about this new idea (not sure if it's been done before, I've never personally seen it but if it has, props to the author!) of integrating small drabbles/oneshots in with the story, corresponding to the timeline but maybe giving a hint of insight to the characters and their social interactions. Come to think of it I actually did read a story recently, titled Hood by The Wayward Philosopher, and while it was both expertly written and designed, the author injected a handful of preludes that helped to round out the story and give more information on the goings-on, and I really like that idea. Whereas in this story it will be rather shortlived, so maybe a handful of inserts could do it some good!

Also I noticed that I was missing quite a few apostrophes last chapter, and I am suuuper sorry about that. I transferred from google docs to notepad, then to , so I guess they got lost in translation. I'm a terrible proofreader.

Bialystok is also spelled wrong, forgive me. Damn my spellcheck.

In the description of their house, I may have gone on a real estate site and selected one that suited my purposes, though it might not have been located in Bialystok. Take some liberties with that. ;)

With that rather long author's note established, I move on to chapter two.

**Dislaimer.**

I do not own any of the Rurouni Kenshin characters.

**o0o**

"_The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be."  
><em>- Marcel Pagnol

**o0o**

When she returned from the walk she had taken, Kaoru found her home as comfortably chaotic as it always was. The smell of sweet rolls invaded her senses and she felt her bones shift into a relaxed posture, and the sound of something shattering against a wall only made her shift her icy blue gaze in its general direction. With a slow countdown in her head, she allowed her ki to push forwards, toward the scuffle she heard to be growing in volume.

She halted her probing senses just at the mouth of the nearest hallway to her left, waiting patiently for her victim to bolt through. Just a few more seconds...

She was rewarded with a loud yelp of fear as a young looking wolf jetted through her spiritual wall, realizing all too late hi mistake and reacting out of instinct, his lanky limbs and large paws a tangle underneath him as he made to turn and go back through the hallway he had come.

He landed in a huff, heaving air through a snarling maw with ears pinned to his head. The wolf was a scruffy brown color, flecks of amber running along his spine and tail. It was an odd coloration, Kaoru mused as she had many times before, one that alluded to the boy's strange and unknown heritage.

"Yahiko," Her voice was cool and smooth, but there was a restrained strength in it that would make anyone shiver involuntarily. She was about to say more when another, much larger, force stumbled through her senses. The tall man, named Sanosuke, was red-faced and looked like a cat had gotten at his face and left arm, a picture Kaoru couldn't help but snort in laughter at.

His dark chocolate eyes found her and instantly he cooled off, smirking as he looked back at the pup Yahiko, now tangled in the floor rug as he tried to get up and stand on his own feet.

"Ooh, you're in it deep now, kid. Boss-lady prob'ly heard you tip that vase from where she was at in town." His face was smug as he stepped on a corner of the rug and gave it a sharp tug with his leg, successfully untangling the young man.

Kaoru's chuckling face fell. "Vase? Vase as in urn that holds the ashes of our greatest elders? Yahiko!" She screeched, voice escalating as the sentence concluded.

The battle that ensued included Kaoru chasing the now very human, and very naked, Yahiko, who had involuntarily changed back into his human form, all the while screaming curses and threats, wielding a lamp that had been nearest her before she tore off after the boy.

The vase, or urn as it was properly called, was a gift given as goodwill and luck to the chosen Daughter, and though Kaoru found it slightly off-putting, she had honored it as it required and settled it in a far wing of the house, away from the sometimes hectic nature of its occupants.

The home they lived in was, by most means, a mansion. Nine bedrooms, three floors, a full kitchen and two dining rooms, one for entertaining and one for family, several common rooms and two dens that were warm and cozy. Lost of space to stretch their limbs and cozy places to curl up beside a fireplace was exactly what Kaoru loved about the house. That, and it gave her pack enough space for themselves without feeling like their own, mini-territories were being invaded constantly.

The house was attended to by a handful of maids, the head of which was Sekihara Tae, a human who's family had been loyal to the Kamiya line since it's origins in Japan. Tae and her adopted daughter Tsubame attended to almost all meals cooked, oversaw the cleaning of the house, and made sure that the proper arrangements were made when dealings within their species were required. The other servants had gone through a careful screening to make sure that they, too, could handle a life of servitude under wolves, but mostly came from other loyal families like Tae's.

As Kaoru continued to tear through the house after Yahiko, determined to teach him a lesson, a sleepy-eyed brunette crept out of her room with a yawn. The smell of Tae's cooking had awakened her, and the smell was enough to pull her from a deep rest.

Makimachi Misao had been self-isolated to her room for the past three days, exhausted from the activities of the prior four. She'd spent the majority of it in hound form, skulking around alley ways and only changing into her human form when she needed to communicate with those not of her species.

There was a threat to her Alphess lurking somewhere in the depths of France, a lead she had been following for a few months and had intended to follow further, but she had been selected by Kaoru herself to be the eyes of her pack. Officially titled, Misao was the Emissary to the small, but tightly knit, pack, and was responsible for the relations to the rest of the supernatural world around them.

Put simply, she was a spy who related information back to Kaoru. It was the same job she'd had back in France, but now it had stock. She was no longer one of several undertaking low-risk missions, but instead a respected member of a very important pack, and she had Kaoru to thank for it.

Wandering from the hall she shared with the pack's witty and beautiful doctor, she trudged down the maze of halls until she found herself in the kitchen, and settled herself on a stool at the island. In front of her was a tray of sweet rolls, dusted with cinnamon and smothered in glaze. She felt her stomach roll with pleasure as she snatched the largest one she could find and chomped on it merrily. It was rare she got the first pick, but as there looked to be plenty to go around, she didn't feel too bad about it.

She allowed herself to recollect on the information she'd found in the past few days. It had seemed like a conclusion was just at the tip of her awareness, and it had been enough to keep her going day and night. The typically bubbly and happy Misao had been a brick wall, using force and feminine wiles to gather the leads she had suspected meant harm to the named Daughter.

It was a precarious topic to be asking about, and she had to be wary. Perceived weakness of the Daughter could mean many things, and an uprising of other-world creatures was not the least of Misao's worries. Vampires in particular were growing in numbers, and she wasn't convinced that they were content under the policing of wolves.

If she could just find the link that put together her suspect and the rumors, she would be able to bring the proof to Kaoru and action could be taken. But, as it stood, she wasn't even sure if the threat was real or not. Only time would tell, and Misao knew that if the threat was true, time could prove fatal to her beloved Alphess.

**o0o**

When the commotion had died down and Yahiko had managed to find some clothing, the members of the royal pack found themselves migrating towards the sweet rolls that had failed to lose their alluring smell, especially to a group of beings who relied on it more than any other instinct.

Shortly after Misao had finished her first roll, the lovely doctor Megumi had found her way to them as well. Delicately putting one on a plate, she used a fork and knife to cut bite size pieces while Misao took hulking chomps out of her's, glaze smeared on her left cheek. The two exchanged pleasant greetings, and Megumi chuckled as crumbs dropped from Misao's face at her's.

Before long the rest of the group had assembled and a comfortable chatter began. Yahiko was sporting a fat lip and was back to calling Kaoru "busu", Sano had dropped into smooth-talking Megumi, and Kaoru was quietly munching on a roll, pridefully eying the group scattered around the island before her.

**o0o**

_It had shaken the core of the royal assembly when she had stood before them and announced her choices. They were all there, she'd made sure of that. Though she knew they would be hard pressed to avoid it, as while they were members of the Matriarch's assemblage and not her core pack, they were all Kaoru's good friends and hoped to see her choose wisely. _

_By tradition, the first name to be called would be her Backer, or her Beta by wolf terms. Her second in command, her most loyal companion, and the one who would defend her with his life. The name slipped proudly from her lips and echoed over the room. Sagara Sanosuke. _

_He had stepped forward with a hardened face but a sparkle of pride and joy in his dark eyes. He had taken to one knee and bowed, his head lowered. He kneeled at her feet directly in front of her, about two feet away, as she called the next name. _

"_To be my Emissary, I choose Makimachi Misao." A short-lived ripple of whispers rang through the crowd. A female, chosen to be the Daughter's personal Emissary? It was unheard of! The talk was silenced by a pulse in the Matriarch's ki, a signal to remain respectful of her Daughter._

_Misao stepped forward with the same expression as Sano, but there was such tremendous gratitude and happiness in her gaze that Kaoru couldn't help but crack a soft smile as she took a stance identical to Sano's, to his left. Kaoru looked up from the pair and didn't hesitate to call the next name. _

"_To be my Physician, I call on Takani Megumi." Another startled gasp wiggled through the assembled families. There was a moment where none came forward, but then as Kaoru began to falter in her hope, the crowd parted and Megumi came forward. There was a steely determination in her eyes and her posture was prideful. She heard the softest growl of what she translated at relief expelled from Sano as Megumi repeated what the others had done, taking the place on the other side of Sano._

_One more name, and Kaoru would meet the minimum number of members to her pack. She had filled the positions she required, and now she had a promise to keep._

"_To follow me as a steadfast ally, Myojin Yahiko." The crowd bristled at this, and louder murmurs swept through the hall. There was anger and confusion, but mostly feelings of the Daughter's ability to select appropriate pack members was being debated. It broke all tradition, to select a man as her Backer who was in love with another, an Emissary who was a woman and not prominent in her field, a Doctor who was once involved in the illegal manufacturing of human drugs, and a scrawny runt who had no relation to the royal family. It was unheard of._

_Once Yahiko, who looked to be on the brink of the happiest tears he'd ever shed in his young life, was settled next to Misao, Kaoru turned her back to them to face her mother, the Matriarch, who sat about ten yards away on a raised throne, Kaoru's father and her mother's backer to the left, and two other men of high rank to her right. _

_The mumbling began to crescendo as it was realized that Kaoru had finished her selections. Idaina, Kaoru's mother, observed it for a moment before raising her hand. The chatter instantly stopped, and all eyes were upon the Matriarch. _

_After a moment, Kaoru began to become unsure of her choices. She had been fairly certain her mother would allow her this grace, being named Daughter as she was and her father's strong support in her favor. Now, as Idaina looked over the four that Kaoru had chosen, she faltered._

"_They are who is closest to me, mother." She said in a soft voice, laced with both hope and pleading. Another moment passed before the gentle face of her mother bore the weight of a gentle smile._

"_As you wish it, my precious child."_

**o0o**

Kaoru broke from her reverie as an argument began to fester at the table. Blinking her blue eyes to rid them of the mist of memory, she quickly tuned in to the discussion.

"None of you care enough to remember!" Misao screeched angrily, throwing Megumi's plate at Sano's head.

He dodged it with a snarl, pointing a finger at the mousy girl. "Listen, you, all of us combined are over two hundred years old! That's a lot of years to remember! You could have at least _reminded _us," He shot back, hot-headed nature taking over.

Misao managed to produce a set of kunai from somewhere on her person, her weapon of choice when dealing with human affairs. She opened her mouth to speak, most likely to shout threats at Sanosuke, just as Kaoru managed to cut in.

"What exactly did we all forget?" She asked raising one eyebrow. Misao turned to her, huffy for all of the forgetful natures she was surrounded by.

"My birthday!" She wailed, knives dropping to the table with a clatter as she blubbered pitifully. Yahiko huffed and rolled his eyes, mumbling something about stupid girls and their attention-needing antics. Megumi was chuckling quietly behind a hand as Sano poked his head up from behind the counter, hoping not to have to be treated for knife wounds.

Kaoru looked puzzled for a moment before it dawned on her. Today _was _Misao's birthday, she recalled, and the girl had been running herself ragged for the past few days and had probably been hoping for a little attention today. Kaoru sighed, upset with herself for forgetting.

"We should all be ashamed of ourselves. Misao, what could we do to make it up to you?" Kaoru asked gently, reaching over to put a hand on Misao's shoulder as she stopped rambling incoherently through her tears (which, Kaoru suspected, were fake).

"Well," Misao began, and Kaoru felt her stomach drop as the small ninja's sniffled decreased. This was how Misao started when she was going to ask for something she knew no one wanted to agree to. "I was hoping we could go out tonight.. maybe, to a club?" She was back to her chipper self as the words spilled out, bouncing in her chair as she took in the faces around her before settling back on Kaoru's.

Megumi had stopped giggling, Sano had quirked an eyebrow, and Kaoru had gone pale. Mingling in human affairs was the _last _thing any of them wanted to do on a Friday night, but something tugged at the back of Kaoru's mind. As Misao's huge teal eyes gazed up at her hopefully, she had a feeling that whatever was pulling at her thoughts wasn't guilt. It was something else.

Kaoru seemed to think it over, trying to tune out Yahiko as he started exclaiming about how parties were stupid and he'd rather eat his own barf than go out to a club. Nodding her head slowly, Kaoru decided that perhaps, in light of the circumstances, going out could be acceptable.

"Alright, it's settled." She said determinedly, fisting one hand and resting it on the counter. "If Misao wants to go to a human bar for her birthday, we would be poor friends to deny her that."

Sano and Megumi slumped, but Misao was practically brimming with glee. "I'll go get ready! We'll leave at nine!" She called over her shoulder as she rushed back to her room. It was silent as they heard her door slam behind her.

Megumi looked up to Kaoru and narrowed her eyes. "It's dangerous to mess with humans, you know that. This could have negative effects on all of us."

Kaoru considered it for a moment before shaking her head slightly. "No, I see this as a good step forward. We've lived here for a few months now and have yet to really get to know the society. Besides, there's plenty of things besides humans at bars in this area, we might even make a few useful connections." Actions justified, the Alphess swung off her chair and headed towards her room, ready for a shower and a nap.

Behind her, Megumi eyed Sano as gears seemed to turn in his head. He turned to look at her and a smirk spread across his maw, one eyebrow raising. "So, Fox..."

"Don't even think about it, Rooster Brain. You're dateless tonight." She said without a second thought, following Kaoru's lead and heading towards her own room, hips swaying in the most tantalizing way a female could possibly generate as Sano watched hungrily from his chair.

_'Fine. If I can't_ go_ with you, I'll just have to _leave_ with you.'_

**o0o**

Kaoru turned to look in the mirror, twisting her body in a few different ways to see from each angle. The dress was a halter, a jolting sapphire blue color, ending at mid-thigh, with an open back that revealed slim, muscled shoulder blades that connected to firm, subtly strong arms. Her long legs led down to a pair of black heels that gave her another two inches of modest height. Hair tied back in a knot at the base of her skull, her graceful neck was unadorned with jewelery.

Hesitant to be overdressed, she spritzed a bit of jasmine perfume on her wrists and at the juncture of her clavicle, gave herself another once over, and promptly left the room so as not to feel any more insecurities on the matter. She traveled down to the main living area, which also held the main entrance, and found two others waiting for her.

Sano was dressed in a button down black shirt and dark colored jeans, a pair of indiscriminate shoes on his feet and his hands stuffed in his pockets. He wore his hair in the same fashion as always, but had removed his bandana so that some of his hair fell into his face a bit. Sano was ruggedly handsome, and Kaoru suspected that he knew it well enough not to dress to the nines when it was certainly unnecessary.

Megumi stood beside him, wearing an olive cocktail dress that hugged her perfect, slim figure and ended just above the knee, a sweetheart neckline pushing her breasts up slightly to cradle a green pendant on a golden chain, matching stones in her ears, revealed by a seemingly effortless up-do.

Kaoru's eyes swept around but could not locate Misao, and just as she was about to ask where the celebratory female was, she felt her presence tromping down the staircase, a pair of heels in hand. "Sorry about that, I couldn't decide on an outfit." She said sheepishly as she stopped in front of them and tugged on her shoes. She was dressed in a black miniskirt and a shirt that looked like one strip of material wrapped around her small torso many times until it covered her muscled abdomen and breasts, but only just barely. The fabric was a dark purple and served as somewhat of a tubetop, a faux silver necklace accenting her swan-like neck.

"Where is Yahiko-chan?" Misao asked, looking around as she struggled with her second shoe.

"I'm not going," They heard from above them. Perched on the railing of the loft that led to bedrooms on the second floor, Yahiko's feet dangled over the edge. "And don't call me that! I'm almost thirty now!"

Sano snorted, looking up at the young man. "Yea? Auntie Idaina called me kid until I was fifty!" He shot back, smirking as the boy scowled. Yahiko appeared to be no older than fifteen, and so he was still a child by both human and wolf years. Sano, on the other hand, was a young adult at age seventy-one.

"Why aren't you coming? Don't you want to celebrate? Or is there someone else who's caught your attention..." Kaoru trailed off, sending out her senses as she eyed the room. Sure enough, dusting a cabinet just across the room and almost not visible in the shadows of a hallway was young Tsubame. The young teen felt Kaoru's ki and turned with a squeak, clutching her feather-duster.

Kaoru smiled at her warmly and waved a hand, looking up at Yahiko and winking. "You kids play nice tonight, then!" She chirped before promptly exiting, Yahiko shouting at them from above as they left, one after another.

**o0o**

Misao's forty-fourth birthday was turning out to be more fun that the group had expected. They'd gone to three bars, able to drive well enough as alcohol was less effective on their systems, and as the evening progressed they found themselves at what was apparently the hottest nightclub in Bialystok.

The place was packed, and soon enough they had all been separated, but at this point in the night they weren't adverse to it and ready to party in their own individual liking. For Megumi that meant out-dancing human girls on the dancefloor, for Sano it meant hitting the bar and flirting with everything in a skirt, for Misao it was dancing, though far enough away where she wouldn't have to compete with Megumi, and for Kaoru, it was taking a seat at the bar and enjoying a nice vodka.

Kaoru glanced over and saw Sano leaning towards a beautiful redhead who she was fairly certain was actually a kitsune, and reading Sano's lips she was fairly certain he said "You remind me of someone.. can I buy you a drink?" Smirking slightly at his apparent lack of tact that worked every time, she turned to her drink and took a sip, enjoying the rush of warmth as it spread throughout her body.

She was enjoying the beat of the music and the rising buzz that was beginning to seduce her when she felt it. It tickled the edge of her senses like a feather on a breeze. Something powerful that was only just barely trying to mask it had entered the bar. She knew she was inebriated enough that talks of alliances probably wouldn't go well, so she decided to ignore the newcomer so as to save her own, as of yet unformed, reputation.

For a moment it seemed like Kaoru's plan would work. She was facing the bottles of liquor behind the bar, contemplating her next selection like a monk would his devotion, when it hit her like a brick. That power, barely constrained (and she_ knew, _could _feel_ it was that way on purpose) power was focused on her. Only her age and experience made it so she didn't choke on the sip of vodka she'd taken.

Whatever it was, it was looking at _her_.

**o0o**

The moment he and Aoshi had entered the bar they liked to frequent, Kenshin had known she was there. What exactly she was, was still a mystery. But her essence, the force that gave her power that perhaps matched his own, the place smelled of it. It was well bridled and contained, expertly so, but that fact that it tasted so different, so _fresh_, was what caught his attention.

He nodded to Aoshi and they went their separate ways, intent on finding dinner for themselves. Aoshi went for the crowd of dancers while Kenshin chose to investigate the person whose aura was so intriguing. At first he couldn't find her, so well adapted was she and her power to blending with the humans. A few times he thought he had her, but it was just her ki attached to someone else. Decoys. But they smelled unnatural.. so, a being whose power was so pure and strong that it could cast itself into the wielder's needs without them even commanding it..

The concept fascinated him.

Wracking his mind for a possible solution, he practically stumbled upon her whilst lost in his own thoughts. The raven-haired beauty had her back to him, and what a back it was. Exposed all the way up to her neck, barely concealed bottom perched delicately on a bar stool. He watched as the muscled beneath her skin flexed and shifted as she picked her drink up, sipped, and set it back down.

He was by her side in a moment, taking the unoccupied seat to her left. He pretended not to notice her, but she stiffened slightly as he ordered a drink. Rum and coke, nothing fancy. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she chanced a look at him. He turned in the same instance, feeling a pull towards her eyes. He wanted to see this creature's face, had to know if her perfection was a facade for some ugly hag who wanted young, human flesh.

He was not dissapointed. As her cerulean eyes met his molten amber ones, he felt something inside of him stir. From the slope of her brow to the angle of her chin and everything in between, she was flawless. High cheekbones and thickly lashed eyes, accented by arched brows and plump, slightly parted pink lips, he felt something bubble and churn in his stomach as he was momentarily struck speechless.

She smiled at him, a soft, unsure smile. It was enough to snap him back to reality as he gave a small smirk in return, lifting his drink to his lips and taking a swig.

"I've never seen you here before. Are you vacationing?" He asked smoothly, casting another glance her way. She had looked down to her drink, as if trying to read her fortune from it's ice cubes. When he spoke to her, she looked up at him with careful eyes, trying to decide how to answer.

"No," She replied slowly, and he could smell the liquor on her breath. "My family and I moved here a few months ago, though we choose not to go out often. Tonight is my sister's birthday." By her own standards it was not a lie, as pack members were widely seen as either lovers or siblings, and she considered all of her's siblings.

Kenshin took in the information and stored it away carefully, trying to gather as many clues as to what she was as he possibly could. He knew that she could tell he was not a human, he hadn't come in prepared to meet a supernatural being as close to his standing as she and therefor not bothered to mask it. He was kicking himself for it now.

"Can I offer you anything you would accept?" His voice took on a slightly husky tone and he could practically taste the shiver the ran down her body. He leaned a little closer, feeling his hunger boiling below his skin.

She seemed to grow bold, from what he would never know, and leaned forward as well. Throwing her morals to the wind, she even let a small, delicate hand come to rest on his upper thigh. Placing her lips strategically at his ear lobe, her answer was a sultry whisper that had him battling shivers of his own.

"Do you dance?" The double meaning cut through him like a sword, pulling a feral grin across his face. Wordlessly, he pulled them to the dancefloor.

**o0o**

Kaoru wasn't sure where her courage had come from, but she didn't debate it. She'd been wondering all night if she should allow herself the pleasure of male company, shooting down suitors as they appeared. But when the mysterious man with uninhibited power had approached her..

Her wolf had rolled with content and admiration for the blatant display, instinctively finding him a suitable companion. The woman in her, however, was stunned by his absolute _handsomeness. _Even the cross shaped scar on his left cheek emphasized his angular jaw, the sharp narrowing of his golden eyes, the tilt of his primal smirk..

It left her shaking.

At first she had been cowed into non-suggestive answers, fiddling with her drink and fighting down the urge to bolt. Just because he was handsome didn't mean anything! She was an Alphess!

But that thought soon had her fighting down bile, not the fight or flight response.

But then he spoke again, closer to her, his warm breath ghosting across her neck. Looking over she saw his attention momentarily flip up to her eyes from somewhere else on her body. The obvious heat and desire that had leeched into his wheat-gold gaze was startling, but provided a solid enough kick in the head to where she came to the realization, _she had the upper hand._

With a few trick Megumi had taught her and the addition of a sexy whisper, she felt more than saw him melt. His power gave a shake as if an explosion had happened behind its barrier and had barely been contained.

He took her hand and they stood, wandering to the dancefloor hand in hand. She was transfixed by his eyes, the blatant _want _that they contained. They began to move, uncaring of the humans and supernatural around them. Their bodies ground closer and closer until there was no space between them, his hands roaming up and down her sides, teasingly close to her breasts. Her fingers wove into his fabric and through his hair, demurely glancing away and back again, making him only want her more.

"We should leave." He spoke fairly close to her ear, but it was as if everything around her had gone still, as his words were crystal clear. When he met her eyes again, he found no resistance.

**o0o**

Just as Kaoru was being led out of the bar by a very lusty redhead, the gentleman that had entered with him was honing in on his own prey. He had already fed, a young girl who wandered out into the alleyway with him without a second thought. But now, as he had re-entered the bar for his friend, he found himself drawn to another entity entirely.

The sheer amount of people here made it impossible for him to pinpoint her smell and identify her, but he had a sneaking suspicion that she was dangerous. He body twisted and moved, teasing and tantalizing the human boys and even a few supernaturals around her into giving her their undivided attention.

He watched as she seemed completely uninterested in them after about three and a half minutes of dancing with each individual, slithering away to a different section of the crowd. He couldn't tear his eyes away, hidden by the shadows in the corner of the bar. Something shifted inside him when a man lay on hand on her waist, dangerously close to her chest.

But just as soon as it had been there, she had slipped away from it, and the feeling subsided.

Aoshi wasn't completely aware of himself as his feet brought him towards the young woman in question. All too soon he was by her side, swaying slightly with the beat. His eyes were like eyes, boring down at her. It didn't take long for her to notice.

She turned and seemed to start a little as their eyes met, and an awareness passed between them.

Wolf.

Vampire.

It was as though the world around them stopped. Each others smells tangled with themselves, both man and woman highly trained to do exactly what they just had, albeit unknowingly, done. Misao was an Emissary trained to locate and deal with other species, Aoshi had been previously employed in much the same manner.

Then the world crashed back down on top of them and Aoshi began to slither away, shaken and upset with himself for making such a mistake. He had been drawn to her immediately, her grace, her beautiful, youthful face.. he was a fool. He should have been more attentive. He should have-

But he was halted in his own mind by a delicate hand clutching his wrist. He turned, and found her eyes wide and.. welcoming? Was she truly intrigued by him?

"Your kind should not meddle with mine." He said softly, but something brought the words to her ears and her eyes went from wide and innocent to lidded and intelligent. He was shocked by the change, enough to stay and listen to the first words he'd heard her say.

"Who's gonna _know?_" And just like that, his willpower shattered.

**o0o**

**AN.**

So I hope I didn't go overboard in my descriptions, sometimes that happens. I guess it's just my style as a former roleplayer ;P

Please review!


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